Gregor and the Run of the River
by LuxaTheUnderlander
Summary: The Prophecy of Bone is now over and done with, but there's more trouble in the Underland. Luxa has disappeared, a new prophecy has been discovered, and gregor is called down again! This next sequel will continue the story of Gregor from my point of view.
1. The Message

Okay, here is the promised sequel to my other fics, Prophecy of Light and Bone of Bane! I hope you like it!

Gregor

and the Run

of the River

_Prologue_

_Luxa and Aurora had just exited the secret path that branched out from the prophecy room in Regalia. It had only been discovered a year ago. _

_"What exactly are we doing here, Luxa?" Aurora asked. _

_"I just want to investigate. There are so many things we have not seen down here. And I would really like to find out why this path leads to the river." Luxa answered._

_Aurora sighed. "But you know that we have tried many times before. We have never found anything." She said._

_"We have not actually investigated the riverbank itself before, have we, Aurora?" Luxa said, smirking._

_"Well, no, but I do not think this is a good idea. What if something happens?" Aurora protested. _

_"Nothing will. Do not worry, Aurora." Luxa said confidently. But Aurora was still uneasy. _

_Luxa went out along the riverbank. Aurora stood back a few paces, watching her. It would not do to let her bond get into danger._

_"Is there anything there?" Aurora asked. _

_"No, nothing yet." Luxa answered. But Aurora's eyes had just caught something on the stone wall beside her. It was a piece of writing. She read it over, and knew automatically what it was. _

_"Luxa, I think you may want to see this." She said, not taking her eyes off of it. But Luxa did not respond. "Luxa, it is a proph—Luxa?" Aurora looked around quizzically, for she had just noticed Luxa was not there. _

_"Luxa, where are you?" Aurora fluttered around up and down the river, but there was no sign of Luxa. She gave a shriek. _

_"Oh no, Luxa is gone!" Aurora cried to herself. What if they couldn't find her? But then her eyes caught something that made her heart drop. _

_A gold circlet was wedged in between two rocks pushing out of the water. Luxa's crown. Aurora shrieked again. _

_"LUXAAAA!" _

Chapter 1

Gregor was looking out his bedroom window. It was the beginning of April, and spring was at its finest. Too bad he wasn't.

As usual, he had splitting pains in his back and his head hurt bad. There were scars there, which, along with the remorse, would never fade. And neither would the memory of the place he had got them from.

These injuries were some of the worst he had gotten from a place called the Underland. They ranked right up there with the five scars on his chest left by a rat called the Bane.

The Underland was a world miles beneath the streets of New York City, where Gregor lived. It was home to giant creatures such as bats, rats, roaches, mice, and fireflies. People also lived there as well, they were silver haired, pale skinned, and violet eyed people who mostly inhabited the city of Regalia.

He had many friends down there. The queen of Regalia, Luxa, a giant rat called Ripred, a doctor named Howard, and his own personal bond, Hera included. He loved the Underland in its peaceful times, and was counting the days until he would be called back.

But there were some things he didn't like about the Underland. For one thing, he hated being involved in all their prophecies, written by a man called Sandwich. He had been the target of seven of them already, and he was getting sick of it. He didn't think there was any more, but then again, all of them had come at him in surprise.

Since he was the prophesized warrior, he had been in many battles. Those were where his wounds had come from. The scars on his chest made by the Bane would never fade, and neither would the claw marks on his back made by a bat called Luna or the one on his head made by a rock that had fallen and hit him squarely on his head.

"Gregor, Kendra's here!" someone called. Kendra was an Underlander who had moved to the Overland to live with her grandfather who had been to the Underland before. He had utterly despised her when he first met her, but they had become better friends over time. Besides his family and Mrs. Cormaci, their neighbor, she was the only one in the Overland who he could talk to about the Underland.

"Hello, Gregor." Kendra said, greeting him. They had school that day. Kendra had adapted well to an Overland teenager's life, but still had not lost her formal Underland way of speaking. She had been teased at school because of it, but Gregor had always stuck up for her, and he let her hang out with him and his friends, Larry and Angelina.

Her appearance had also adapted as well. They had died her hair a beach blonde color instead of its normal silvery color, and her skin had tanned a lot. Although her violet eyes remained the same, she was having no trouble passing for an Overlander now.

The two said goodbye to Gregor's parents and began walking to school, taking Gregor's sisters, 10 year old Lizzie and 5 year old Boots, with them.

Lizzie was in the fifth grade, but was really smart for her age. It was only a matter of time before she was allowed to skip a grade. Boots had just started kindergarten. She was called Margaret by her teacher, but most people still called her by her nickname, Boots.

"Bye Gregor! By Kendra!" Lizzie said as they got up to the elementary school.

"Bye-bye!" Boots said, taking Lizzie's hand. "See you!"

Gregor waved at them and he and Kendra started off down the street to the High School. They had only just started there, as they were 14 and in ninth grade.

"How are your wounds?" Kendra asked Gregor.

"I can live." He answered. It had hurt worse _getting _them than it did now. He had been through a lot.

They walked in silence the rest of the way to the school. Even though they were friend now, Gregor still found it awkward to talk to her after she had poisoned Luxa.

The school day was pretty much uneventful, but Gregor was extremely glad to leave. He was going back with Kendra to her grandfather's house after they dropped his sisters back at home.

Kendra's grandfather, Renaldo, had been to the Underland and killed the deceased rat king Gorger's predecessor, King Slashblood. He had a lot of interesting stories to tell, and Gregor loved to listen to them.

"Hello, grandfather." Kendra greeted her Renaldo as they stepped into the paint shop.

"Hello, Kendra. And you as well, Gregor." He nodded their way, and got up from his canvas. He was a very talented painter.

"So how was your school?" he asked, pushing his ragged grey-brown hair out of his eyes. Kendra shrugged.

"Fine." She said. Gregor nodded.

"Oh yes, Gregor, I have finished that picture of Hera I told you I would make. Consider it a gift." Renaldo turned to Gregor.

"You don't have to…" Gregor began, but Renaldo held up his hand.

"Please, it is fine." he said. Gregor took the painting that Renaldo was holding out for him.

As usual, Renaldo's painting looked exactly like the giant bat he had asked for. He had painted Hera's gold and white speckled fur perfectly. It really made him miss his bat, and he hoped he would get a message from them soon.

"Thanks." Gregor said gratefully. Renaldo had also painted him a picture of Ares some months before, his old bond. He still missed him just as much, but he had become used to carrying him in his heart.

"It is no problem." Renaldo said.

"Grandfather, did you not say you were going to teach me to paint a nibbler today?" Kendra asked.

"Oh yes, I did. Gregor, would you like to learn too?" Renaldo asked him.

Gregor considered the offer, but he really wasn't much of a painter, and besides, he had to get home to help his mom with dinner soon. Mrs. Cormaci was coming over for a while.

"Thanks, but I should probably get home know." He said politely. Kendra waved goodbye to him from behind her canvas.

"Fare you well, Gregor." Renaldo nodded to him. Gregor stepped out of the shop.

He began walking back toward his apartment and breathing in the spring air. It had been a frigid winter, and his family had barely been able to stand it. But they could live with the mild temperatures of April. All you had to do was wear a thin coat to be comfortable.

"Oh, Gregor's back!" Lizzie said as she opened the door for him. She had been teaching Boots the basics of the game "go fish".

"Gregor! Hi! I'm playing go-fish!" Boots giggled. She was a pretty small five year old, but not as small as Lizzie had been. Her dark curls had grown out a bit, and were now close to her shoulders. Despite her big girl-ness, as she called it, she was still his littlest sister, and he could remember her as a two year old, when they had taken their first trip to the Underland, boy, that seemed so long ago, even though it was not yet three years.

"Hey, Gregor. Can you help me with the spaghetti?" his mom peeked her head out from in the kitchen.

"Sure, mom." He said. His mom knew how he would have to return to the Underland sometime, and he was surprised she was not more upset about it. He hoped she would willingly let him go, but even if she didn't, he would have to go anyway. They would hold Luxa ransom before they let him stay in the Overland. And he wouldn't let them do that.

They had a nice dinner with Mrs. Cormaci, and Boots sand the sharing song she had learned in school today…over and over again. I was a relief when she finally fell asleep. Gregor decided to go do the laundry.

He had purposely dirtied his clothes lately so he would be able to do the laundry faster so he could check the grate to the Underland more often. He didn't really think that there would be a message today, but it didn't hurt to check. So he grabbed the bag full of dirty clothes and went down to his apartment's laundry room.

The laundry room was luckily empty when he reached it. He loaded the clothes in the washer and moved the machine over a bit. What he saw surprised him.

A reddish Underland bat was peeking through the grate. "Hello, Overlander! I carry a message from Vikus." He said, holding out his claw. In it was a scroll. He passed it to Gregor and flew away. Heart pounding in his chest, he unrolled the message and began to read.

_Greetings, Gregor._

_I have some very urgent news that must be attended too. Yesterday evening Luxa and Aurora were investigating the path you discovered leading to the river, and Luxa vanished. We cannot locate her, but we believe she has been carried down the river. _

_Meanwhile, Aurora has also found a new prophecy carved on the stone wall in the passage. It fits with Luxa's disappearance, and it calls for the Overlander. It is required that you come down as soon as possible. I will have Hera meet you at the Central Park entrance. We feel that this one is dangerous, the messenger bat we sent, Achilles, thinks he was sighted by another Overlander. Boots and Lizzie are welcome as well. _

_Fly you high, _

_Vikus_

_Oh yes, and I have enclosed a copy of the new prophecy. _

And it ended. So there was another prophecy. Another chance for him to get killed. But if it was to save Luxa, then he would do it.

What could have possibly happened to her? Was she still alive? He was so worried. But he flipped over the scroll and saw a prophecy written on it. It was entitled 'the Prophecy of Water'. He took a deep breath and began to read.


	2. the Prophecy

Chapter 2

Oh man, this was some prophecy.

_Prophecy of Water_

_Lost by the rush, hard to break free_

_Trapped by the monsters of the sea_

_Follow the river to find the one_

_Whose reign has only just begun_

_A bit of the river, a bit of the sea_

_Will revive the one if it need be_

_The run of the river has made its call_

_Through the dark that may devour us all_

_The Overlander's word is law_

_There's trouble again, but not by rat's paw_

_The rush of the water may bring us despair_

_Or it may come from those who dwell there_

_Respect burns deep for each species united_

_A genuine peace may soon be sighted_

_The run of the river is key to it all_

_So respect its power, or else plan to fall_

Wow. So, supposedly, Luxa was the one 'lost by the rush', because her reign had only just begun. And they had to follow the river to find her. But they couldn't do it with out him, because apparently, his word was law. But what was that part about 'a bit of the river'? Why would Luxa need to be revived? Was she sick, or something?

And what were the monsters of the sea? The fish? Somehow, Gregor didn't think the fish would be able to capture Luxa. Most of them didn't even have eyes!

As usual, Sandwich was predicting that if all failed, everyone would die. Man, this guy was so negative! So there was trouble again, but not involving the rats. And it didn't mention anything about bats, so he assumed the Terrorwings, a.k.a. the group of fliers that had attacked them while they were trying to retrieve the Bane's bone, were not involved. Good. They had been very hard to fight.

But he needed to talk to Vikus and the other Underlanders! They would help him with this prophecy! But their first priority would have to be to find Luxa. She just couldn't be dead! He wished Hera would come faster; he didn't want to wait a whole day! Terrible things could happen in all that time!

So Vikus said he was allowed to bring Lizzie and Boots. Somehow, he didn't think his mom was going to like that. But his sisters would scream if they couldn't come. He would have to bring them.

He walked back up to his apartment and thought about how he was going to tell his mom. He couldn't tell her tonight; it would just give her worried dreams. If he had to tell her, he would tell her tomorrow.

He made it back up to his apartment and in his bed, but he couldn't sleep. His thoughts were consumed with worry for Luxa. He just _had _to get down there!

When Gregor awoke the next morning, he laid in bed, thinking. Would these prophecies ever end? It was impossible to tell. But why should he follow them any longer? The only reason he was responding to the Underander's call was because Luxa was missing. And finding her was the whole point of the prophecy. If it didn't involve her disappearance, then he probably wouldn't have gone.

His eyes caught the two paintings Renaldo had done for him hanging on his wall, of Hera and Ares. He should ask him to do one of Luxa sometime. Renaldo really was…wait, Renaldo!

Renaldo had asked Gregor to tell him if he was going back to the Underland. He said he'd really like to see it again, because it had been so long. And now here he was, about to return, and he hadn't even notified Renaldo!

He considered walking over to talk to him, but then he realized it was raining. So he decided to call him. He picked up his phone and dialed the number of the paint shop.

"Hello, you have reached the art shop off of fifth street, Renaldo speaking. How may I help you?" Renaldo answered after the third ring.

"It's Gregor." Gregor said.

"Oh, hello Gregor. Is there anything you need?" Renaldo asked.

"Umm, I just wanted to tell you that…I got a message from the Underland. And they want me to come back. Are you going to…I mean…" Gregor began, but Renaldo interrupted him.

"I will come if I am welcome. And Kendra may want to as well. I am sure she misses it there." He said.

"Okay, well, can you meet me at the Central Park entrance in two hours?" Gregor asked.

"I will be there." Renaldo said. And they hung up.

Boy, coming back to the Underland with the girl who had poisoned Luxa and the man who had killed King Slashblood would cause quite an upheaval. The humans would probably be astonished, and the gnawers angry. It could lead to disastrous results. But he had promised them that they could come, and he didn't like to break promises.

He went out of his bedroom and found that his mom had already left for work. There was a note on the table that said she would be back in a few hours and to watch Lizzie and Boots, since it was a Saturday and they had no school. Well, he would have to leave a note to tell her. She would be angry, but somehow it was better than telling her face to face.

"Hey, Lizzie? Boots? Guess what?" he asked, walking into the living room and seeing them on the couch.

"What? What?" Boots cried, rushing over to him. "Is it a sur-prise?" she asked. She still had problems with big words, and said each syllable slowly.

"We're going back to the Underland." He said. Boots gave a squeal of delight.

"We see Temp! We see Hera! Yay! Let's go!" she said, pulling him by the arm towards the door. But Lizzie looked worried.

"Did you ask mom?" she asked.

"Well…know. But I'm going to leave her a note. It's really important." Gregor answered, and explained to her what Vikus had sent him.

"I don't know. I don't want mom to be angry." She said.

"Well, you have to decide now, Liz." Gregor said. He also wasn't sure about leaving without their mom's permission, but he couldn't call and ask her in the middle of work. All he was thinking about was Luxa.

"You go. I'll come if mom says it's okay." Lizzie made up her mind.

"You sure?" Gregor asked. Lizzie nodded. "Okay, Liz." He said, giving her a hug. "Ill make sure they have a bat meet you, if you come."

Lizzie nodded. "Bye." She said. He could see some tears in her eyes. He gave her another squeeze.

"It'll be okay, Liz. I promise." He said. He let go of her and helped Boots get her coat on.

"We go to the Underland! We go to the Underland!" she was skipping around. Gregor gave one last wave Lizzie's way and they walked out the door.


	3. Back again

Chapter 3

So that was why, half an hour later, he was moving the boulder away with Boots standing beside him along with Renaldo and Kendra.

Kendra had been somewhat reluctant to come, believing that she would not be wanted back in Regalia. But Renaldo had persuaded her, saying that he would like no one better than his own granddaughter to show hi around the Underland, since it had been years since he was last there.

"Okay, come on, Boots." Gregor said, after moving away the boulder. He grabbed Boos in his arms and began the quick descent into the concrete tunnels. Renaldo and Kendra followed, pulling the boulder back into place.

As usual, the concrete turned to natural stone, and Gregor began to smell the fishiness of the Waterway. It had been a while since he had come down this way, and the smell of it brought back memories of crossing it on a frail boat, getting caught in a whirlpool, being attacked by squid, and watching flesh eating mites devour Howard's old bond, Pandora, and nearly devour Ares.

They came to the funnel shaped drop. Gregor wasn't sure if Hera was there yet, but his question was soon answered. A big gold and white speckled bat head appeared in the opening.

"Hello, Gregor!" Hera said.

"Hey, Hera!" Gregor cried, locking claws with his bat.

"I have brought Nike and Howard with me as well." Hera said. She moved aside and reveled a black and white zebra striped bat, Nike, carrying his friend Howard. Howard dismounted Nike's back.

"Hello, Gregor!" Howard said, clapping him on the back.

"Hey, Howard!" Gregor greeted him. Then Howard noticed Renaldo and Kendra.

"Umm, hello…Gregor, why have you brought other Overlanders with you?" Howard asked Gregor quietly. Gregor laughed, and so did Kendra.

"Howard, it is I, Kendra!" she said, chuckling. Howard's expression turned back from uncertain.

"Oh, I did not recognize you! You look just like an Overlander!" He said. "And would this be your grandfather?" he asked, turning to Renaldo.

"Yes, I am Renaldo. Hello, Howard, I've heard a lot about you from these two." Renaldo said, gesturing to Gregor and Kendra.

"Hello." Howard said. Gregor could tell he was bursting with questions to ask him, as he was the one who had helped fight a war with the gnawers years back, but he held it in.

"Well, we should probably get going." Hera spoke up from below them. Gregor took Boots in his arms and dropped, and Hera had them. Kendra followed, but Renaldo joined Howard on Nike. They sped off back for Regalia.

"So Hera, how is everything? I mean, I know Luxa's gone, but what's been happening?" Gregor asked his bond.

"Well, the city has broken into chaos since her disappearance. Everyone wants to be chosen on the quest to find their queen, but I do not think many will be. Vikus and the council have only consented to choose you, I, Aurora, Howard, Nike, Nyx, Persephone, and possibly Perdita and Theia. Mareth and Andromeda were on first choice, but he says that Perdita and Theia would be better choices, because they were able to really fight if trouble happened." Hera said. "And of course, Ripred would not miss it for anything." She chuckled.

"So, Ripred's still hanging in there, huh?" Gregor asked.

"Yes. It is a big job for him, to represent the gnawers, but of course, there is no rat better for the job." She snickered.

"Yeah." Gregor laughed too. "So how's everyone else?"

"Everyone is fine, except Aurora." Hera said.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" Gregor asked, alarmed.

"She blames herself for Luxa's disappearance. We have tried to talk sense into her, but she will not listen. So she just hangs in Luxa's chambers, moaning and attempting to hurt herself. She barely even talks to me, and I am her sister." Hera said gloomily.

Gregor was shocked to silence. That was not like the Aurora he knew. By the way Hera was explaining it, Aurora was acting suicidal! But they were trying to keep her from actually killing herself, because when they found Luxa, she would be devastated if her bond died.

"You will see how bad it really is when we get there. Maybe you will be able to get her on track. I hate seeing my sister that way." Hera sighed.

"Maybe." Gregor said.

"We approach!" came Howard's voice from atop Nike. Sure enough, the lights of Regalia were sparkling in the distance. Suddenly, the city opened up to them, and they were flying over the breathtaking stone buildings of the beautiful city, flying towards the towering palace. Gregor was only reminded of how much he had missed the place.

"It still looks almost the same from how I remember it." Gregor heard Renaldo sigh.

"Just so you know, almost everyone thinks you are dead, grandfather." Kendra said.

"I know." Renaldo said.

In a moment they came to a landing in the High Hall. Vikus was waiting for them.

"Gregor the Overlander! You return again!" he said, embracing him with his good arm. Vikus had been paralyzed on his right side by a stroke.

"Hi, Vikus." Gregor said. Vikus's eyes caught Kendra and Renaldo, but unlike Howard had, he smiled warmly.

"Ahh, Kendra, you look wonderful." He said. "And you must be…Renaldo?" he said, eyes widening.

"Vikus?" Renaldo asked. The two men shook hands.

"We are so grateful to you for your aid to Regalia." Vikus said.

"It's nothing. The Underland is still like a second home to me." Renaldo answered.

Vikus turned back to Gregor and Boots. "So Lizzie has decided not to come?" he asked.

"Yeah, but she might come later. She didn't want my mom to get upset." Gregor answered. Boots waved in Vikus's face.

"Hi, you! We're back!" she said happily.

"Why, hello, Boots! You have grown nicely!" Vikus said. "So, would you like to dine? You all look hungry." Vikus asked, but Gregor shook his head.

"I want to see Aurora." He said simply. Vikus's smile turned solemn.

"All right, but I warn you, she is terribly unhappy." He said.

"I know. Hera told me." Gregor said.

"Yes. Maybe you will be able to help her." Vikus nodded. He began walking down the corridor to Luxa's chambers. Gregor passed Boots to Kendra.

"Can you watch her?" he asked. Kendra nodded. Gregor turned to follow Vikus, with Hera right behind him.

"We have only allowed Hera, Nike, Howard, and select others to talk with her, because they might upset her more. She misses Luxa terribly." Vikus said, when they were close. Gregor nodded. "But I am sure she will brighten a bit at the sight of you."

He pulled back the curtain in the doorway of Luxa's chambers, and Gregor slowly walked in with Hera. They had been right; Aurora did look miserable.


	4. Aurora's Misery

Come on, guys! Reviews reviews reviews! I'm not putting up the next chap till we get more. 

Chapter 4

Aurora was hanging from the ceiling on a ledge Gregor had not noticed before. He supposed Luxa had had it carved out especially for Aurora. But the golden bat had her head in her wings and Gregor could hear sobs. Her fur was all gnarled, like she hadn't bothered to groom it. Hera fluttered over to her.

"Aurora?" she said softly, brushing her sister with her wing.

"What?" Came a high, muffled reply.

"It is Hera, and Gregor is here as well." Hera replied. Gregor came forward. Aurora gave a cry.

"I am sorry, Gregor! It is all—my—fault!" she wailed, and began swiping at herself. Hera grabbed her in her wings.

"Aurora, drop it! You will not help her at all by hurting yourself!" she said sharply. Aurora wailed again.

"I do not—deserve—to live!" Aurora said. "Luxa is gone, thanks to me!" she shrieked. Gregor was a bit uncomfortable, but Hera was handling it.

"The prophecy does not predict Luxa's death, only that she will disappear! That is why Gregor is here, to help s find her!" she said, while Aurora wailed. "Can you talk to her, Gregor?" Hera asked him.

"Uhh, sure." Gregor said, and walked uncomfortably up to the miserable bat.

"Aurora, it's not your fault." That was all he could think to say.

"Yes it is!" Aurora sobbed, burying her face in her wings again. "You must hate me now, for now you may never see Luxa again, because of me!"

Gregor stopped a second. Aurora did know what went on between him and Luxa, about their relationship. But the last thing he wanted her to think was that he blamed her for losing Luxa.

"I don't hate you." He said. "We'll find her, don't worry." He told the golden bat. Aurora responded with another cry. Hera fluttered back up to her, but spoke softly this time.

"Aurora, we will find her, but we need you to help. You must pull yourself together. No one blames you in the slightest." She said. "Will you come down and have some food? Please?" she asked her.

"All right." Aurora hiccupped. She slowly flew off of her perch. Hera caringly ran her claws through her sister's fur, smoothing down some of the knots. She looked a little better, but still miserable.

Gregor mounted Hera and they flew back to the High Hall with Aurora. Some Regalians in the corridors of the palace took surprise at the sight of Aurora. She had probably not come out of the room for days.

When they reached the High Hall, they entered the dining room off of it. Kendra, Renaldo, Boots, Howard, and Nike were already there, along with Hazard and Nyx and Persephone. Nyx, Ares's sister, had first been opposed to the compromise between the gnawers and humans, but was now for it and on the side of peace. Gregor had become fairly close to the kind, brave flier. Persephone, her daughter, was full grown now, and she was around the size of Hera and Aurora. She still looked exactly the same, though. And of course, Ripred was sitting at the foot of the table, slumping as usual. But when he saw the arrivals, he got up.

"Well, look who's out of the bubble." He said, staring at Aurora. She sneered at him.

"You do not have to make me feel any worse then I already do, Ripred!" she said, with another sob. Hera rolled her eyes, but glared at Ripred.

"You are only upsetting her more." She muttered to the rat, who turned away from Aurora and instead looked at Gregor.

"Well, back again, Warrior." He said. "Your sister has been singing us some _amusing _song involving a baby beluga. Would you perhaps tell us exactly _what _a baby beluga is?"

Gregor couldn't help but laugh. "It's this big animal that lives in the Overland ocean. A type of whale." He said, snickering. Ripred seemed to know what a whale was, but then again, he did know a lot about Overland things.

"Gregor, I can sing!" Boots said, bounding over to him.

"_Baby beluga in deep blue sea!_

_Swims wild and free!_

_Hera above, sea below_

_White whale on go!" _

She sang. Well, the words weren't exactly right, but you couldn't expect a five year old to sing it perfect. Hera looked astonished to hear her name in there. Of course, Boots had meant to say "heaven". Gregor smiled.

"That's great, Boots! But now it's time to eat. You hungry?" he asked her, setting her down in a seat beside him.

"Yes!" she cried, drumming her hands on the table.

In a few minutes, some Underlanders brought trays of food and set them in front of the group. Gregor piled his plate full of his favorites and ate while listening to Ripred and Vikus talk about the quest.

"Well, we obviously have to follow the river to find her, so should we take a boat?" Vikus was asking.

"It'd have to be a strong one, to withstand that current." Ripred answered. "But I think we should have at least one, to carry supplies. And I would have to use it too, because there's no way I could run. And after what happened to Apollo, there's no flier that would be willing to carry me."

Gregor nearly choked on his fish. "What happened to Apollo?" he asked. Apollo was a flier who he had met about a year and a half ago, who had been banished from his lands for reasons he would not explain. But he had been allowed to return and had carried Ripred on their previous two quests.

"He vanished as well. One trip to the Firelands and he never returned." Ripred shrugged. "We really haven't had much time to look for him, but Queen Athena's sent a few scouts to look, but no luck." He added.

"Wow." Gregor said. It seemed like everyone was disappearing lately.

"We may find him on the quest, but we have no clue of his whereabouts." Vikus said, and then turned back to Ripred. "Yes, I think one boat will work efficiently. But it must be able to withstand the current."

But Gregor hadn't heard that. He was thinking about what was going on. There were so many things he had to catch up on! But there was only one thing that immediately caught his mind.

"Hey, Vikus, has anyone seen Luna and the rest of the Terrorwings?" he asked. The scars on his back gave a twinge, as if reminding him of the flier who had given it to him. The old man shook his head.

"Not a sight of them. We are worried about that, for they could be plotting something else. Nyx has discovered their old hideout, but they were no longer there." He said, gesturing to Nyx. Gregor turned to her.

"Where was it?" he asked the big black and red speckled bat.

"Right off the Path of Hephaestus. It is a wonder we did not see it when we were traveling it." She answered solemnly. They had traveled the path when going to retrieve the Bane's bone a year ago. It had caved in, but they had taken the alternate path.

"Wow." Gregor said. If that was true, then they had been _so close _to it, and they hadn't noticed it! They might've been able to stop the whole bloody battle over the Bone from happening, and disabled the monster by beheading it. But it was too late now.

"So, how've you been, Nyx?" he asked her.

"As well as I may be." She answered. "But we have all been busy lately."

"That's good." Gregor said. Everyone was finishing up their meal now. Gregor turned back to Vikus. "How soon are we leaving?" he asked him.

"Tomorrow, if all goes well." He answered. "But we should begin preparation right away. Hazard, would you and Boots go to see Dulcet? She will keep you busy." He asked the boy sitting to the left of him.

"Okay." Hazard nodded. "Come on, Boots." He said. The two kids got up and walked out, Boots chattering happily away to him about things she had learned in school.

"Aurora, are you okay for now?" Vikus asked the golden bat. Food seemed to have revived her a bit. She now looked less miserable.

"I am fine. I think I will go for a quick flight around the city, to clear my head." She said.

Hera and Nike exchanged a look. "We should probably accompany her." Nike said.

"Yes." Hera agreed, and the three fliers left.

"Persephone and I should probably get the message to Queen Athena that we will be leaving shortly." Nyx said. Her and Persephone took flight.

"Grandfather, would you not like me to show you around Regalia more?" Kendra asked Renaldo.

"That would be great, Kendra." Renaldo agreed. "Would you excuse us?"

"Not a problem." Vikus said. Those two left. That left Gregor, Howard, Vikus, and Ripred.

"That is just as well, since we have things to discuss privately." Vikus said.

"Well, then let's discuss." Ripred said, putting his back legs up on the table.


	5. Discussion

Chapter 5

"Well, Ripred and I have already decided that we will need a boat to carry supplies." Vikus said.

"Why can't we just take the bats, and have them carry the supplies?" Gregor asked, a bit confused.

Ripred rolled his eyes in disgust. "Do _you _want to tell them that they have to carry all that?" he said, shaking his head.

"Why, how much are we bringing?" asked Gregor. Again, Ripred rolled his eyes.

"Is that all you do, ask _why_?" he said mockingly. Gregor made a face at the rat.

"A lot, Gregor." Howard answered, ignoring Ripred's comment, like Vikus.

"We do not know how long we will be there, or if we will need to give offerings to these 'monsters of the sea' in exchange for Luxa's freedom." Vikus continued onto Howard's answer.

"Oh." Gregor said. Now that he thought about it, it did make sense. He doubted that these 'monsters' would allow Luxa to be rescued without being either persuaded or fought. If they were so monstrous, there was a very little chance of that happening.

"Anyway, let us stray from the topic of the boat for a minute. Does anyone have any suggestion as to what the monsters might be?" Vikus asked. It was a second before Howard ventured an answer.

"Perhaps the Clawers?" he suggested.

"Who're the Clawers?" Gregor asked. He didn't think he'd ever heard about _them_.

"Lobsters." Ripred answered, without pause.

"Possibly." Vikus said. "But it is a bit unlikely, since they have not been seen since Ripred here," the man stole a glance at the rat sitting beside him, "tried to take over the Fount with an army of them." He said. Ripred chortled.

Gregor vaguely remembered the two bringing this up once before. But he didn't really know the details of it. "What do you mean, tried to?"

"Well, my little crustacean friends kind of slipped away down the river surrounding the Fount. Apparently attacking the Fount wasn't exactly part of their initial plan." He said, still snickering. "And apparently they've gone into hiding, because not a claw of them has been seen since."

"Yes, that is very amusing, Ripred." Vikus said, with surprising sarcasm. Ripred was usually the sarcastic one. "Any other suggestions?" he asked. And this time, Gregor thought of something.

"What about those squids? The ones that attacked us while we were on the Waterway. Remember, Howard?" he asked, turning to his friend.

"Yes. That is possible." Howard said, looking toward Vikus. The old man shrugged.

"Maybe. But they have never worked out much plan of action. They are not the most intelligent species. It is widely believed that they know nothing of the prophecies." He said.

"Not to mention that they really have not clue what goes on around them." Ripred said, picking up a fish skeleton from his plate, which was now stripped of edible food, and gnawing on it.

To Gregor, these squids didn't sound like they had any reason to capture the human Queen. Apparently they just attacked whatever came near them.

"But wait!" Howard spoke up. Everyone turned his way. "The prophecy says that Gregor's word is law. So, since he brought up this suggestion, perhaps it is true." He said. Gregor had forgotten about that part of the prophecy.

"That is a good theory. What do you think, Ripred?" Vikus asked the rat.

Ripred shrugged, still gnawing on his skeleton. "Fine. I guess we'll be on the lookout for some unintelligent, antisocial squids." He said, an obvious disbelieving tone in his voice. He shot Gregor a look that said, 'you idiot, now look what you've led them to believe'. Gregor scowled at him. But it didn't matter, because the topic was soon changed.

They discussed the rest of the prophecy. The 'bit of the river, bit of the sea' part was confusing. The only conclusion they could come to was that they had to take something from the river and something from the Underland sea, which was the waterway, so they could revive Luxa if something happened to her. But what exactly would happen to her, and how would that help?

Just as they were finishing up, Nike and Hera flew in. They landed beside the table.

"Well, Aurora is back in Luxa's room. She keeps insisting that she is fine, but there are more guards positioned out in the corridor to keep an eye on her." Hera said. "But I should probably stay there with her tonight; we need her now more than ever." She added, sighing.

"Yes, perhaps you should." Vikus said. "Gregor, it would do you well to go prepare for the journey; we will leave as soon as everyone is ready. Will you be taking Boots along?" he asked, turning back to Gregor. Gregor nodded. Did they _actually _think he would be leaving her in Regalia, after all they'd been through together?

He got up and walked out, leaving the rest of them at the table. But he saw that Hera was apparently coming with him. She flew alongside him on his way to the museum to get supplies. It was just as well, as Gregor really wanted to talk to his bat alone.

"So, Gregor, what did you discuss about the quest?" Hera asked him. He told her about their inferences on the monsters and the bit of the river, bit of the sea. She too seemed a little unsure about the squid.

"They are not the smartest of creatures down here." She said, shaking her head.

"So I've heard." Gregor said. "But they did give me these." He added, pulling up his sleeve and revealing the faded but still apparent squid sucker marks.

"Yes, I have heard about that battle." She said. "But of course, I was still locked in the light room alone when it actually happened, so I did not know the details." She added, looking closer at his wound and nearly crashing into an Underlander walking by.

"Sorry!" she said. The Underlander smiled and waved away her apologies.

During a battle with the gnawers years back, Hera had been locked in a room by her mother for her protection. Her mother had died during the battle, and had not come to unlock Hera, so she had stayed there for the next two years, until Gregor, Luxa, and the other Regalians had found her and let her out. It was then she told them that she was the sister of Aurora. But Hera had adapted extremely quickly back to normal life, and now had all the news of the Underland.

They arrived at the museum shortly. Gregor immediately grabbed a backpack, some flashlights, and duct tape, the standard supplies on any trip, while Hera examined an unusual stuffed animal of an Overland bat with a bit of repulsion.

"They do not look much like us, do they?" she observed, in reference to the other Underland bats. Gregor laughed.

"Not really. I guess evolution changed a lot of things, along with size." He said. The stuffed bat actually did remind him a bit of Ajax, the dead bond of Solovet, Vikus's wife, who was also dead, but he didn't say so aloud. They had the same kind of repulsive look on their faces.

Then his eyes caught the sword he had used on his last trip. He had left it in the museum where he had found it. It actually had belonged to Renaldo, but the man had said he would let Gregor keep it, since he would probably use it more anyway. It was a very impressive sword, with emeralds gleaming in the dark onyx hilt and the razor sharp gleaming metal blade, and it had worked wonderfully when he had used it. He took it and stuck it in his belt. He really had no wish to use any other.

"Ready to go?" Hera asked him, jerking him out of his thoughts. "I do not think I can look at that repulsive flier any longer." She added, eyeing the plush bat with distaste. Gregor smiled again.

"Yeah, let's go." Gregor agreed. And they exited the room. Gregor was wondering what exactly was in store for him on this quest.


	6. Setting off

Chapter 6

The group was assembled in the High Hall a few hours later, after all the necessary tasks had been carried out. Nyx and Persephone had returned from carrying the message to Queen Athena. Boots immediately ran off to her roach friend Temp, who had agreed to come since "the princess" was coming as well.

"Queen Athena says she is all for it, but wishes us to stop off in the flier lands on our way." Nyx said, as she and Persephone landed in the High Hall.

Ripred rolled his eyes. "Just like her, way off of our course. What does she want, anyway?" he asked.

"She wishes to give Nike an important message." Nyx said, looking at the black and white striped bat that was helping to bring some food packs in. Nike sighed.

"She has been doing that a lot lately, calling me at my busiest times!" she said exasperatedly.

"Well, what are we going to do about the boat?" Ripred asked. "The flier lands are way off course from the river! We can't just leave it there!"

"I guess I will just fly ahead. If mother has a message, it is most likely important." Nike sighed.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but we really have no time for small talk. You must be getting on." Vikus said.

"But where are Perdita and Theia?" Persephone piped up. Gregor still hadn't gotten used to seeing her full grown. She was so much bigger than she had been a year ago.

Coincidentally, at that precise moment, a peach colored bat swooped in carrying a female rider.

"Sorry we are late, Vikus. We have had bit of a problem with the younger guards. They do not really want to be alone in shifts without their fliers." Perdita said, dismounting Theia.

"Oh good, you're here, Perdita. they are just about to leave." Vikus said. Perdita stayed standing by Theia, but turned to Gregor.

"Hello, Gregor. It is wonderful to see you returned and well." She said, smiling.

"Hey, Perdita." Gregor said, smiling as well. Perdita had always been nice. "How're you doing?"

"As well as I may be at the moment, but it has been hectic for all of us." She answered.

"So I've heard." Gregor said.

"All right, you must go now, if you are to stop at the flier lands as well!" Vikus interrupted them. There was a small murmur of consent from the group.

"Gregor, we going now?" Boots asked, looking up at him. "To swim in the water?"

"We're not going swimming, Boots. But we're going to fly above the river with Hera, and maybe ride in a boat." Gregor answered.

"Oh. Okay." Boots said.

The plan was that the bats were going to fly to the river with all the supplies, as well as the boat, and everyone else would take the passageway that had been opened by the bone, to save time. So the bats lifted off with the equipment and the rest of them walked out of the High Hall and to the prophecy room.

Vikus went to move the stone slab that unearthed the passageway, but he was having obvious troubles because of his paralyzed side. Gregor helped him.

"Here, Vikus, let me get that." He said, easily moving the slab away. He had become much stronger during his time in the Underland, probably from all the physical training he did regularly.

The group walked down the dimly torchlit stone path. Gregor hadn't remembered it being this eerie the first time. Their shadows danced in the fire light and there was absolutely no sound except the drip-drop of water, as they were going to the river, and their echoing footsteps that sounded loudly on the stone ground. Thoughts of Luxa immediately filled Gregor's brain. She had disappeared down here. He suddenly had a strong urge to seal up the path for good.

Within about ten minutes, the sound of rushing water filled their ears. They opened a door and there was the river, running strong (though perhaps not too strong). Renaldo and Kendra were also there, for some reason.

"Hey. You guys are coming?" Gregor asked. Nobody had told him that they were coming as well. But they shook their heads.

"We cannot, Gregor. Too many people." Kendra said. She didn't look the slightest bit remorseful about it, either. Gregor didn't care that much, though. She hadn't been particularly useful on the quest to find the bone, nor during the fight with the Terrorwings. He couldn't complain.

"I am going to spend some time in the Regalian library." Renaldo said. "I particularly enjoy reading of the Underland's history. It is fascinating, the way they write of it." He added informatively. Gregor nodded.

A rush of wings from down the bend brought them all to attention, and a group of fliers rounded the corner. Hera and Aurora carried fresh water packs, for the river was sometimes contaminated and unclean, Nike and Nyx carried food packs, and Persephone and Leda carried medical supplies. Four fliers that Gregor had never seen before brought up the rear, carrying the boat. It wasn't as big as the ones they had used while traveling the waterway, and it looked thinner and faster, probably specially designed for traveling the river. It had a small sail and was made just like the other ones, with bits of animal skin stretched over a bone frame. Gregor was glad they would be flying on the bats for the majority of the trip, because he wasn't sure how much this smaller boat could hold. Probably a little more than the supplies and Ripred.

"All right, let's get this show on the road!" Ripred said as the fliers lowed the boat onto the water and Renaldo and Kendra helped to secure it to load up. Hera and Aurora placed the water packs in, followed by Nyx, Nike, Persephone, and Theia with the food and medical packs. Ripred climbed in, and prepared to cut the rope that bound them.

Gregor took Boots and Temp with him onto Hera, and everyone got onto their bats. Nyx, Persephone, and Aurora were riderless, but they were at the ready to lift the boat if trouble aroused. That was when Gregor realized that Hazard wasn't here. He had come with them on many past trips.

"Hazard's not coming?" Gregor asked Vikus, who was standing on the bank of the river with Renaldo and Kendra.

"He cannot come. He wishes he could, but his language studies are becoming more intense, now that he is nearly nine years old. And besides, he knows none of the water creatures' languages, only spinner, gnawer, nibbler, hisser, and crawler. He would not really be of much use." Vikus said, with a shrug.

"Oh. Okay." Gregor said. Hera lifted off, as did the other bats.

"Fly you High!" Vikus called, as Ripred cut the boat's ropes and the fliers flew forward.

"You too, Vikus!" Gregor called to the man, waving. He thought he heard Vikus say something else, but they were already too far down the river to hear much besides a couple of loud shouts. The current was fast.

It was then that Gregor asked Hera the question that had been bugging him since he had gotten to the Underland, but hadn't wanted to ask surrounded by people who might get majorly upset by it.

"Hera, are you sure Luxa can't be…dead?"


	7. Minor problems

Chapter 7

Hera gave a sigh. "Oh Gregor, she is not. If there is one person I know to be able to take care of herself, it is Luxa. It was you who told me how she survived in the jungle with Aurora for months on end." She said, a bit exasperatedly. Gregor realized he sounded somewhat like Aurora. But he couldn't help it. He was worried about the young queen.

He was silent for a moment, remembering all the things Luxa had done to protect herself and her companions. She really was a remarkable person. After a moment, he spoke. "I guess you're right." He agreed. Hera gave a tilt of her head as if to say, 'of course I am'. Gregor had to resist the impulse to laugh.

"Can I have a little peace and quite, please? Is that too much to ask?" Ripred's voice pierced the conversations around him, and Gregor looked down to see him stretched out on his back in the boat. "I haven't had a proper nap in days!" he complained.

Normally, Gregor would have shot a stupid comment back, but he didn't have the heart to right now. His mind was still on Luxa.

For a while, everyone was completely silent. The only sound that disturbed the noiseless atmosphere was the rushing river water and the deep breathing of Ripred as he slept. Gregor wanted to shout out to no one in particular to get rid of his endless restlessness. He wanted something to happen.

And something did happen, although he wasn't specific enough about what he wanted.

Gregor was beginning to doze off himself when he heard a rustle of wings and an angry but horribly familiar voice.

"I don't _want _to go to Regalia! You take me to my son, and you take me there now!"

"Oh, _no_." he muttered. He was in for it now.

A black and orange bat Gregor knew as Hermes swooped around the corner, attempting to reason with a very familiar woman with her arms wrapped around a very familiar girl. Gregor would have been happy to see his mother any time except for now.

Ripred was awake now. "Oh, has the mighty warrior been a bad boy and left home without his mummy's consent?" he taunted from below in the boat.

"Shut _up_, Ripred!" Gregor muttered, just waiting for that moment when his mom would spot him.

Suddenly her head turned his way. She literally went ballistic, and if Lizzie hadn't stopped her, she probably would've jumped right off Hermes' back.

"Land! Now!" she commanded, gesturing to a beach that had just loomed up around the corner. They didn't need telling twice. The whole party landed on the beach. Ripred rolled his eyes and steered the boat towards the shore.

"Mama! Lizzie!" Boots cried, waving to them. "We're going on an adventure!" she announced happily.

Their mom didn't pay any attention, though. She just stomped right over to Gregor and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt.

"Just _who _do you think you are, mister? Huh? Leaving _again _with only a note and your upset sister to tell me where you've gone! And taking your five year old sister, too! _Without my permission! _Tell me, Gregor, what do you have to say for yourself?" she roared into his face. Gregor had never seen her lose control like this.

"I…I…" he stuttered, but she didn't even give him a chance to say what he had to say for himself.

"I am _appalled _if you think I'd just let you leave again! Oh, I guess Gregor's just on his merry way to the Underland to get himself killed by a pair of vicious rats again! Yeah right!" she accused, wagging a finger at him.

Gregor couldn't help it. "Uh mom, the humans and the rats aren't fighting anymore." He explained. The minute he said it he wished he hadn't.

She literally exploded now. "I DON"T CARE, Gregor! The point is this place is dangerous, much to dangerous for a _fourteen year old boy_! You and Boots are coming home with me and Lizzie _right now_, and I don't want to hear another word about it, are we clear?" she roared, crossing her arms and waiting for his answer.

But he didn't get the chance to respond, because at that second he saw Ripred sneaking up behind her, tail poised for an attack. "Ripred, you'd better…" he began, attempting to stop the rat, but Ripred's tail came smacking into his mom's chin, knocking her out cold.

"Take her back to Regalia." He instructed Hermes.

Gregor couldn't believe him! "You…you…you just _attacked my mom_!" he gaped at the rat. But Ripred only shrugged.

"It is essential that you come on this trip. She was a threat to that." He explained, shaking his head.

Gregor gawked at him. "And did you ever think that what you just did would be a threat to it?" he said, staring the rat down. Ripred shook his head, smirking.

"Oh contraire, Overlander. I know you'll come." He smiled. Gregor didn't have to ask if it was because of Luxa.

"You just hit mama!" Boots cried, pointing accusingly at Ripred. "You're bad!" she ran over to their mom. "Mama? Mama, are you okay?" she said, blowing on her face.

"She's fine, Boots. She's just unconscious." Gregor said, still glaring at Ripred.

"What's uncoo-shus?" Boots asked, puzzled.

"It's like she's taking a nap for a little while. It's just like sleeping. She'll wake up soon." Gregor explained to his sister.

"Oh." She nodded and ran back to Temp, looking angrily at Ripred as well.

Lizzie came over to Gregor. "Maybe you do need to go, Gregor. It's for Luxa." She said. "I could come, too." She added, looking around at the group. "Maybe Ripred was right to do that."

Gregor's mind was contrasting with this enormously, but he knew there was no point in arguing with Lizzie.

"All right, Liz." He sighed. "But Daedalus didn't come, he didn't know you'd be here." He added.

"I can ride with Ripred." She said simply, and hopped into the boat with the rat. Again, Gregor didn't argue.

Gregor sighed for about the tenth time that day and helped Boots get onto Hera, followed by himself and Temp. The rest of the group mounted their bats and they were off again.

"I'm still not talking to that rat." Gregor muttered to himself, disgusted with Ripred's behavior. He didn't have to knock out his mom! It was completely unnecessary.

With that problem conquered, but not in a way Gregor liked, he thought that the trip would be more or less smooth sailing (literally…well, at least in Ripred and Lizzie's case) for the rest of the time. But Theia was the first one to break the silence after about half an hour, with a statement that troubled them all.

"Where is Persephone?" she asked urgently. Gregor looked around, sure enough, Persephone had disappeared somewhere.

"Lovely." Nyx groaned from the back of the group.


	8. Queen of the Serpents, Lady of the Sea

Chapter 8

The first thing Luxa did after opening her eyes was sit up. Then she turned over as water gushed from her mouth, coughing and spluttering with the lightly salty, fishy taste.

Now fighting rats was terribly frightening at times, but it was nothing to hurtling down a cold river at breakneck speed on the back of an unknown creature with a slippery hide. _That _was just freaky, and it was what she was doing now.

She had been examining the river's edge with Aurora when she had suddenly been pulled into the water by something with a slippery but firm grip and held under for at least a minute and a half before she was thrown up in the air only to land on the terrifying creature's back. She assumed she had been held under to keep her from screaming for Aurora. That plan had been sinister, but nonetheless clever.

The creature seemed to ignore her retching and kept racing on, making bigger waves then the young queen had ever seen before. If she even attempted to jump off she would drown in a heartbeat. All she could do was hang on for dear life as she hurtled along on the back of this mysterious being.

She reached up to her head and discovered that her crown was missing. Lovely. She went through those things like a child with a catch cloth. And Vikus would not be happy that she had lost another one. If she made it back to Regalia alive. She had absolutely no idea where she was headed for. But she was soon to find out.

Eventually the narrower river began to widen and a huge expanse of sea opened up to them. The waterway.

Now she had traveled the waterway once before, but that was nothing compared to the speed of at least 100 miles an hour this thing was going at. But what _was _the thing?

It was as if the creature had been waiting for just the right moment to reveal what it was. It pulled its head up out of the water and gave a colossal roar. Luxa couldn't help it; she screamed bloody murder. She was on the back of a serpent. A big, huge, Tankard serpent. Extremely wonderful.

The serpent issued a series of strange gurgling and slurping sounds, accompanied by the occasional growl. Luxa recognized that to be serpent tongue. She guessed the beast was either telling her to stop screaming or was communicating with another serpent nearby. The young queen hoped it wasn't the latter.

She began to calm down after a while, but didn't dare let her guard down. She had now deduced that the monstrous creature was taking her back to its home, the Tankard. But why she had no clue.

But her hunch turned out to be correct, because a few hours later, they entered the enormous, water filled cavern. This time, in contrast to the last, there were no gnawers standing along the caves. But there were serpents there; three other heads were rippling the surface of the river. One opened its mouth, revealing the rows are rows of razor sharp teeth inside it. Luxa gulped. She didn't even have a sword.

Before she knew it, she was dumped into a cave on the side of the Tankard, nearly level with the water. The cold liquid rushed in periodically, leaving the floor concealed under two or three inches of water. The stuff dripped from the roof of the cave as well. Within minutes, Luxa was soaked to the bone. But she couldn't care less about her personal appearance or dryness at the moment; she was just busy fearing for her life.

Her strength was diminishing with every passing second, and she felt herself ready to pass out with hunger, thirst for clean water, and just overall exhaustion. When she finally decided she just couldn't hang on any longer and was about to let herself go, there was a flopping sound, and a bunch of pre-filleted fish fell beside her. She looked up and saw a rock ledge protruding out of the cave wall. But there was someone standing on it as well.

A woman who looked to be about 18 or 19 years old was standing on the ledge. She looked like an Underlander, but that the same time, she _didn't _look like one. She had the violet eyes and silvery hair, although her eyes were of the deepest violet-black. And the locks of her hair seemed to flow, just like the river. But the real thing that annoyed Luxa was that she was wearing a crown. A crown much more elaborate than Luxa's gold bands. But why, though? She wasn't a queen, was she?

The girl climbed down from the ledge on rungs somewhat like a ladder's that had been carved from the rock wall. She did it very dramatically, and Luxa could almost here the Regalian orchestra playing a suspenseful tune. When the woman's feet touched the floor, she turned and faced Luxa, as if expecting something.

All was quiet for a moment, and then—

"And just who are you?"

Luxa had broken the silence, in a rather comical way. The woman groaned.

"You are _supposed _to know who I am already, it gives me more of an entrance!" she said, crossing her arms. Luxa gave a snicker, despite the circumstances.

"Well, I do not have the slightest clue as to who you are. I suggest you try making an entrance by introducing yourself." The young queen advised, still smirking. If possible, the woman looked even more cross.

"I am Lynne. Queen of the Serpents, Lady of the Sea." She said, in a misty, almost ghostly tone.

"I beg your pardon? Queen of the Serpents?" Luxa spluttered, confused. "I hate to break it to you, but you are a human, not a serpent."

Now it was Lynne's turn to laugh. "I know that, Luxa. One does not have to be a serpent to rule over them."

Luxa didn't have to ask how she knew her name. She had probably organized the whole kidnapping. The fourteen year old was silent for a moment. Lynne still looked as if she was expecting something.

"You are supposed to ask why, and then I am supposed to tell you my story, using all the detail I possibly can!" she fumed, looking angry. Luxa had to smile again. She felt no intimidation brought whatsoever by this woman. She was actually entertaining.

"Well, I really could not care less _why_. But I suppose if you wish to tell me, you will, will you not?" she sighed, leaning back against the wall.

Lynne groaned again, rolling her eyes. Luxa was _not _living up to expectations! "Fine, if you really want me to, I shall tell you." She said, making it sound as if she had never wanted to in the first place and it had been Luxa who was begging her to.

"I was born in a distant land..." She began, but Luxa had to interrupt.

"A distant land? There are no distant lands, besides the Overland!" she informed Lynne, with a bit of a laugh. Lynne's anger only expanded.

"All right, all right, fine. I was born in Regalia, nineteen years ago to the day. My parents were so proud to have a daughter like me." She began again, back to her misty tone.

"But I did not fit in with the other Regalian children. I never wanted to play like they did. I never wanted to fly on bats or learn to use a sword. Instead I wanted to spend every hour of every day by the river, sometimes swimming, sometimes only gazing at it. The currents seemed to stop every time I wanted a swim. I was in my element with the water.

"And then my parents had a fight, both fuming with anger at each other. They went their separate ways, I moving with my mother to the Fount.But the trouble had not ended.

"One night, my father and his flier turned up, ready to avenge my mother's custody of me. She tried to resist, but in the end, it was her who was run through with the sword." She stopped, most likely for dramatic affect. But Luxa was speechless, so Lynne went on, a bit more exasperatedly.

"My father was put on trial, and to be honest, I desperately wanted him to be found guilty and killed. I hated him for killing my mother, hated him for every terrible deed he had done onto my family. But your father, the king, did not find him guilty. Instead, he and the council pronounced him free of charges, much to my dismay. He believed my father's excuse; that he had been drunk. I was terribly angry, and when he took me back to his house to live, I tossed a crystal vase at his face, leaving it bleeding badly. There was nothing I could to but run, to the river. The most homely place I had felt in years. I was only nine years old.

"And then a serpent came upon me, for a reason I still do not know. Perhaps it had been sent, or perhaps it had come of its own accord. I never found out.

"But it spoke to me, and I spoke back. Somehow I already knew serpent tongue. I told him my story, emphasizing my love for the river, the sea, and its creatures. For one reason or another, the serpent took me back to the Tankard with it. We have been great friends ever since, and when I was sixteen, the announced that they wished me to rule over them, since I brought them so much. And I agreed." She finished her story on a solemn note, leaving Luxa somewhat amazed.

"If you will excuse me, I must go take care of my serpent friend, the one who took me here with her, Seraphine. She is terribly ill. Eat the fish, if you will." Lynne said, and without a second thought, dove perfectly into the cold tankard water and swam away. Luxa just stared; dumbfounded for one of the first time in her fourteen years, at the place she had left.

"Wow." She muttered, mostly to herself.

"I know. Dramatic, was it not?"

Luxa swung around. A ghostly purr had come from the back of the cave. "Who is there? Reveal yourself!" she shouted, voice wavering a little.

"It is not like I really _can. _My wings are tied down." The voice came again.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Luxa asked again. The voice sighed.

"It is I, Luna, here to avenge my brother's death, blah blah blah. No, I am here because that dramatic little brat captured me as well." Said the voice. Luxa was speechless.

Luna, the one who had helped lead the Terrorwings. Luna, the sister of their enemy, Thor. Luna, the one who had given Gregor the scars he now wore so uncomfortable on his back. Luna the evil. And Luxa was standing just feet away from her.

"Luna?"


	9. Reappearance

**Yes, yes, I know, I know. It's been WAAAYY too long. And here are the reasons for the idle madness:**

**1. I've been MAJORLY busy. I've had an insane amount of rehersals for my drama play, which went well, and is now over. :( Plus, I just had my school midterms, which I did fairly well on. **

**2. WRITER'S BLOCK! Yeah, we've all suffered from this. **

**3. I've got a new obsession. Warriors. So I must find a balance. **

**Anyway, I will mst definitely be updating more often now, because, if you've seen my profile, I have a lot to work up to. So here's chap 9!**

* * *

Chapter 9

"What, are you scared of me now because I clawed your boyfriend?" Luna snorted. Despite the fact that she and Gregor had been together for two years, and counting, Luxa still went red, and chose to ignore the statement.

"But…I do not understand. Why would she take both of us?" she was confused. Luna rolled her eyes.

"Use your brains, idiot. Where do we both stand with our species?"

Luxa thought for a moment. "Well, I am the future queen of Regalia, and you are just an evil flier who was unfortunately related to the bond of my deceased power-mad cousin." She said frankly. Luna groaned.

"I am more than that! And you call yourself a queen!" she snapped. "I am the one who now inherits power over the Terrorwings, which, despite our little…defeat, still has complete potential in taking over the entire flier race!"

Luxa narrowed her eyes. "So you _are _planning on rebuilding the Terrorwings?" she questioned, a bit nervously.

"Well…I do admit we sort of…splintered after you and your little cohorts killed my brother." She mumbled. "But we are not finished yet!" she added defiantly, with a nod that suggested she was too proud for her own good.

"Really?" Luxa raised her eyebrow, and Luna looked annoyed.

"You still do not get it, do you?" she sighed. Luxa was silent. "Alright, maybe this will enlighten you." The silvery flier turned to the back of the cave. "You can come out now, you pompous airbag! Lynne is gone; it is just that brat of a queen here!"

Luxa gave Luna a menacing look, but turned to see who the bat had been talking to.

"I am _not _a pompous airbag! I am a _King, _and I should be treated with the respect I deserve!"

"All right, all right, just come in here!" Luna hissed exasperatedly. Out of the dark came a light brown nibbler whose chest was thrown out in a slightly snobbish way. He had his nose in the air with meaning.

"King Ratio?" Luxa said, recognizing the ruler of the nibblers who had come to Regalia often in the past to settle trade agreements. Why was he here?

"Queen Luxa!" the nibbler king sniffed indignantly. "I do hope you will show me more respect than this imbecile of a flier here!"

Luna growled and bared her teeth, although bound by the ropes that held her wings together. "If you want to see an imbecile, you might want to try looking at your reflection." She hissed. "If it were not for these cords, I would have you torn to pieces and I would be flying out of here!"

Luxa could see she had to step in, however much she didn't want to have to deal with Luna. But the bat didn't seem to be as much of the threat as she had been a year ago.

"Stop it, the both of you. Will it do us any good to be arguing over pointless things?" she narrowed her eyes at the bickering pair. Luna glared at her, but Luxa remained indifferent. Ratio just looked smug.

"All right, your _highness_." Luna spoke the last word with distaste. "Now that you know that this idiot of a nibbler king is here, do you understand why Lynne wants to capture us?"

Luxa was silent for a moment. The truth was that she _was _beginning to understand Lynne's purpose. "She wants those with power over their species…she wants them to back down from their positions…" the young queen began, as everything dawned on her. "She wants to hold them hostage so they cannot oppose her as she…" Luxa's voice trailed off.

"As she takes over the Underland." Luna finished for her, and for once her tone was not mocking. "But she has not gotten them all yet," The silver flier looked closely at the human queen, and then opened her mouth to speak again.

"She's going for Ripred next."

-----------------------

Persephone didn't know what had happened, but she had flown off, having no wish to watch Gregor argue with his mom. When she had tried to go back, she had found herself lost down a hopelessly winding passage that a small river tributary flowed down, and she could not find her way back. She wasn't scared, just frustrated. The black and red bat wasn't one to be afraid.

She had decided to go farther down the passage, partly through curiosity and partly because she really had no idea where else to go.

Suddenly there was a long, low moan. Persephone flinched and her head swung around, but she couldn't pick up anything besides stone through her echolocation.

She stayed in one spot, hovering in the air. "Who's there?" she rasped, her voice barely a whisper.

And then came the voices. They seemed to be coming _from _the walls of the passage. Was she going insane?

She pressed her large bat ear against the cold, hard rock and listened. She couldn't make out the words, but one of the voices sounded familiar…well, as familiar as a voice could get from between a wall of solid rock.

Without thinking much, she zoomed silently along the tunnel, keeping close to the wall. Suddenly, a huge archway loomed up in front of her, and she smelled water.

Her echolocation picked up a vast pool that branched off of the river tributary. One of the voices she had heard before was speaking.

"But we cannot do that."

The voice was misty and smooth, definitely female. Her voice seemed to be coming from in the water. Persephone gasped as she located the source of the voice; a huge blue-green she-serpent with her neck up above the glassy surface of the dark pool. But who was she talking to?

"We _must_, do you not see, Marina? I _have _to get back."

Persephone listened intently. The voice sounded extremely familiar, but she could not locate its source.

"Apollo, we _cannot_. Lynne is plotting with the rest of my species. It would be…completely _suicidal _to go around that way, and I would not be able to go a different path. This tributary is much to shallow."

This time, Persephone did gasp. _Apollo_? But he had gone missing months ago, miles from this vast, water filled cavern that seemed so far from anywhere!

"Who's there?" the serpent spoke again, her soft tone sharpening. Persephone contemplated on whether to reveal herself or not. Since she couldn't detect the other speaker, she wasn't totally sure if he was her old friend or not.

"It is another flier, Marina."

There was a rush of wings and the clash of claws against the stone floor and suddenly Persephone could detect the source of the voice. A very large brown flier was flying out from behind a huge stone slab…and that flier had a large scar across his eye.

"Apollo!"

Forgetting her uncertainty of entering the cavern in the first place, Persephone rushed in and landed next to her missing friend, and, without thinking, wrapped her black and red wings around him.

"Persephone?" Apollo asked uncertainly. "Is that you? Why are you here?"

"Oh, Apollo, it is you!" Persephone shrieked delightedly. "We looked all over for you!"

Apollo looked a bit upset. "Really? Because I was starting to get the feeling that you barely looked at all."

Persephone sighed. "Oh, Apollo, don't. We tried, we really did, but we have not had much time! Have you heard what is going on?"

"You mean how Queen Luxa has disappeared?"

Persephone's jaw dropped. "How did you know about that?" she gasped.

"I know where she is as well." Apollo hesitated a moment. "My serpent friend, Marina." He gestured his win towards the blue green female serpent who was staring uncertainly at them. And then Persephone realized that she had _eyes_. Now Persephone, being the inquisitive, curious flier that she was, had to know why.

"Apollo, I thought serpents down here did not have eyes." She hissed at her friend.

Apollo shrugged. "Some do. Marina is one of them. I think it is because she does not always live in the dark."

Persephone looked around. "Yes, because this place is as bright as a torch lit cavern," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Apollo sighed. "She does not _always _live here, Persephone. This is just for the time being," he explanined. "Actually, I think the only reason she has not moved somewhere else yet is because of me."

Persephone was confused. "What?"

"I will tell you the whole story later." He said. "But for now, come meet Marina."

He beckoned for her to follow him as he flew over to the dark pool.

"Marina, this is my friend, Persephone." Apollo introduced. "Persephone, this is Marina."

Marina swam closer to the shore, where the two bats were just landing. All was silent for a moment, while the massive female serpent looked Persephone up and down.

"Well, Persephone," she spoke, "Welcome to the Black Cavern."


	10. A bit of the River, a bit of the Sea

**Chapter 10**

The words "Black Cavern" triggered a memory inside Persephone's head. Months ago, Nyx had told her stories that Astraea, her foster guardian, had told her as a young flier. One of them was the "Legend of the Black Cavern." How did it go again? Persephone attempted to remember.

_Long ago, at least two centuries, a Regalian Queen called Riyada and her bond had ventured out of the city, no longer wanting to listen to the council's pointless ramblings and the bickering that went on between her two children. But in those days, exploration was nearly nonexistent, so the pair easily got confused by the twisting and winding tunnels, and were soon hopelessly lost. _

_Her flier soon could no longer take it anymore and collapsed, coming to a crash landing on the floor of a large cavern. To Queen Riyada's utter dismay, her bond was dead due to exhaustion and hunger the next day. _

_It seemed that Riyada was going mad. The loss of her bond was driving her close to insanity, and she had no possible way of finding her way back to Regalia due to her uneasy state of mind, along with the fact that she had absolutely no clue where she was. She had nothing to eat, although she was drinking from the large pool she had discovered in the enourmous cavern. _

_Finally, Riyada could not take it anymore, and the princess launched herself into the water, prepared to die to escape her life. Her last words were, "I have been driven to death by the Black Cavern." And with that, she died. _

_There had been an old serpent watching the whole affair, but due to the serpents' bad relations with humans, he did not interfere. It was said that he, too, spoke just a few cryptic last words before he, too, died of old age and suffering. He had been telling the queen's story to a relation of his. _

_"Her skeleton will remain in the depths of the Pool until the inherited returns once more." _

Persephone remembered gasping softly every time this tale was finished being told. But she had always thought it to be just a legend, a tale told for young ones' amusement. She hadn't even thought the Black Cavern was real until now. But apparently it was, so did that mean Princess Riyada's skeleton still lay at the bottom of the pool?

Miraculously, Marina seemed to be able to guess what Persephone was thinking.

"You are thinking of the children's tale, are you not?" she questioned. Persephone nodded silently. "You are wondering if it is true or not?"

Persephone nodded again.

"Well, I believe it is." The serpent said frankly. Apollo, from somewhere in the darkness, made a sound of agreement.

Persephone could hardly hear herself as she spoke. "Has the inherited returned yet?" she asked, still unsure exactly who—or what—the "inherited" was.

Marina shook her head. "Not that I know of." There was a pause, and Persephone got the feeling Marina could read her mind again when she said "But I believe the "inherited" is an ancestor of Queen Riyada."

An ancestor…Persephone was clueless for a moment. How could they possibly find a relation of an Underlander who had lived so long ago?

And then she realized with a jolt.

"Luxa." She said quietly. Marina and Apollo nodded simultaneously.

"It took me longer than that to realize it was her when Marina first told me." Apollo said.

Persephone wasn't sure what he meant by that.

"So we must bring Luxa to the Black Cavern?" she asked.

"Either that, or keep her away. We are not sure if what would happen would be good or not." Apollo answered.

"So…what _would _happen, exactly?" That was the one thing that was still confusing Persephone.

Marina clicked her tongue in agitation. "That is just it, we do not know." She paused. "But whatever it is, I have a feeling it is important."

None of them spoke for quite a long time. Marina finally broke the silence.

"You should get some rest, Persephone. You look tired." She said. "You as well, Apollo."

Apollo nodded his confirmation. "Come, Persephone, you can share my perch."

He spread his wings and flew up to one of the vast walls of the cavern. There was a ledge that was faintly scratched by, Persephone assumed, many uses from Apollo's claws, so apparently he had been staying there a long time.

As soon as Persephone latched her claws onto the ledge and hung, her body relaxed. It had been a long day, and her muscles felt exhausted from all that flying. But she couldn't make herself sleep, not when she had finally been reunited with her lost friend.

"So, is there anything else I should know about this 'Black Cavern'?" she asked him.

"Well, there is nothing that is of much importance, but there are a few interesting facts." He answered. "Like for instance, there is said to be hidden grottos in the pool. Marina has confirmed this."

Persephone nodded, interested. "Hidden grottos, that is interesting."

"And then there is an interesting tidbit about the river tributaries that feed this pool." He began. "The one you came down is fed by the spout, down in Regalia. It comes from the main Underland river."

Persephone nodded her understanding, and waited for him to continue.

"But the other one, over towards there," he gestured towards the opposite side of the cavern, "is pure seawater. It flows directly from the Waterway. So technically, this pool is both river water and seawater put together. A bit of the river, a bit of the sea. I always found that interesting."

He said this without any apparent unnatural tone, but something he had said triggered a memory inside Persephone's head, a spark of recognition. What was that he had said? 'A bit of the river, a bit of the sea?' Where had she heard that before?

Suddenly she gasped.

"What?" Apollo said sharply. "What is it, Persephone?"

Persephone's eyes were wide.

"The Prophecy."

------------------------------------

Gregor was worn out. Due to Nyx's insistence, he and Hera had retraced their path for about ten miles to see where Persephone might have gone. They had found know sign of her, and he felt as if his eyes were about to close right then and there. He was _so tired_. And he could only imagine how tired Hera was. She had been flying for hours on end.

"You okay, Hera?' he asked his bond. They were nearly back at the shore where they had tied the boat up. Hopefully Nyx wouldn't insist they keep looking and they could get some rest.

"I am fine, Gregor." Hera answered, but Gregor could hear the exhaustion in her voice.

Finally the beach they would be resting on loomed up in front of him, and he sighed with relief as they landed.

"Any luck?" Howard asked as he walked up to meet Gregor. Gregor shook his head.

"Not a sign. You?"

"None of us here have found her either." He shrugged.

Gregor looked around. Everyone was back except for Perdita and Theia, who had offered to take the longest search route. They really were wasting time. They had made little progress today. Gregor was worried. Every second they wasted could be a second ticking away from Luxa's life. They had to find her.

He spotted Ripred trying to reason with a very agitated Nyx. "Nyx, we haven't found her yet, and we've been searching for hours. Look at all of them. They need rest, and so do you," he was saying.

"But Ripred, she is entirely too inquisitive for her own good. There is no telling what she can get herself into." Nyx replied stubbornly.

Ripred sighed. "She's not a child anymore, she's full grown. She can take care of herself. I know that bat, Nyx, and she's not going to let anything happen to herself." He reasoned.

"You are forgetting how she followed us down the Path of Hephaestus last year and got her companion killed. She constantly flies into dangerous situations without thinking." Nyx responded. 

"I think you're the one who's forgetting, Nyx. You're forgetting that they would have sent Castor anyway, despite the fact that Persephone followed him or not." Ripred said. "And I think she thinks things over more thoroughly than any of the rest of you lot. Especially the warrior."

Gregor scowled at the mention of his name. But he was surprised at the intensity of the fight Ripred was putting off on Persephone's behalf. He seemed to have taken a mutual respect for the young flier, and that wasn't taken lightly with _that _rat.

Nyx just gave a 'hmmph' sound and flew off to the side, away from the rest of the group who, apparently, were making her angry.

There was a rush of wings and Theia flew up carrying Perdita. Both just shook their heads as they landed. Ripred just shrugged.

"Well, you might as well get some sleep, all of you. I'll watch." He said. No one disagreed, since they were all so tired.

Gregor found Boots and Lizzie already sleeping, with Aurora watching over them. She looked stressed and worried.

"We have wasted so much time. I need to find Luxa." She fretted. Gregor put a comforting hand on the golden bat's wing.

"We'll find her, don't worry, Aurora." He insisted. "Now you should sleep. Thanks for watching Boots and Lizzie." He said.

Aurora sighed, but nodded. She put her head under her wing and was soon joined by Hera, who gave Gregor a pitying look before she snuggled up comfortingly to her sister. Gregor laid out a blanket beside his sleeping sisters and almost immediately dropped off.


	11. Lucky This Time

**Chapter 11**

"Time to awaken, Overlander. Let's go."

Gregor jumped up immediately at the sound of Ripred's voice, eager to continue their search for Luxa. The less time they wasted the better. Boots, however, was not so easily persuaded.

"No. I'm tired." The five year old was merely a mass of dark curls under her blanket, curled up in a ball. "I don't want to get up."

"C'mon, Boots, we have to go find Luxa."

"No no no no no!" Boots drummed her fists on the ground. Gregor ha no choice but to lift his sister off the ground and get her onto Hera, something he avoided doing because she was growing so fast and was now pretty heavy.

"Morning, Hera." He locked hand and claw with his bat in greeting.

"Good morning, Gregor." She responded, but Gregor could tell through her eyes that the beautiful gold and white bat was troubled.

"What's up?" he asked his bond. She just sighed and flicked her head to the side. Gregor followed her gesture with his eyes and saw Aurora. Her eyes were blank, as if she had lost all feeling that had ever been mirrored in them. Her wings fell limply to her side, as if she no longer possessed the ambition to spread them and fly. If Gregor thought he was affected by the possible loss of Luxa, he could only imagine how Aurora felt.

"I worry about her." Hera sighed. "Well, we should be going. Up you get, Boots." She gave the stubborn little girl a push with her nose, and Boots reluctantly reached a small arm over Hera's neck and pulled her little body onto the bat, a skill she had been to small to master the year before.

Gregor left his sister with his bond for a second to make sure Lizzie was safely with Ripred in the boat they shared.

"Ready to go, Liz?" he asked her. The ten-year-old nodded and smiled at him, and Gregor was reminded for just a second of the carefree seven-year-old she had been before their family had become so tied up in the Underland and its many plights.

"I'm ready." She said, and turned back to Ripred to talk to him. Gregor still had not figured out how his sister and that cynical rat could manage to get along as well as they did.

He walked back to Hera and sat behind Boots, and seconds later, Temp scurried up behind them. The way it had always been. Even with Ares. Except even in that area, so much had changed. You only had to look down at Hera's fur and realize it was white, not black. And Boots was now too big for Gregor to hold. And Temp's shell was taking on a grayish color. Yes, things were changing. And far too fast for Gregor. But all the same, he wrapped his arms around Boots and tried to imagine that they were in a time warp, about two years back and flying, carefree, on the back of Ares as they made their way down to Regalia for a visit to their mom in the hospital. Maybe Gregor would have an echolocation lesson with Ripred, or maybe he'd have the day to spend with his friends. Three year old Boots might play with Hazard and Dulcet, or maybe the two kids would go to a younger children's training session in the arena, with Thalia, Hazard's would-be bond.

"Ouch, Gregor! You're squishing me!" Boots gave a squeal that brought him back to reality. Gregor realized his hug had been becoming more of a strangle, and he quickly loosened his grip on his sister and wiped his eyes, which, to his surprise, were tearing up fast. But no, he was being stupid. He had Hera, who was not the same as Ares, but she was just as good of a bond and friend as him. And changes were a part of life, he would just have to accept that.

Perdita and Theia flew out in front of the boat as the head of the group for this morning. Howard and Nike flanked the left side, and Nyx and Aurora teamed up on the right. Gregor and Hera were left to cover their backs, which Gregor had no problem with. He didn't think he was in the mood to be the head of the group today, even if Ripred even thought about letting him take the job.

After about an hour, Boots was getting cranky. "Gregor, why isn't Hazard here to play with me? Why?" she asked. Gregor told her that Hazard couldn't come, but she wasn't satisfied. So finally, he started a game of I-spy to keep her busy. Temp played as well. She was much better at it now that she was older, but since there wasn't much around to spy, she was very often pointing at a rock, a part of the water, the boat, or one of the bats. Sometimes she would accidentally say the name of the thing she was looking at, like 'I spy Nike!' and then she would have a giggling fit when she realized her mistake. Temp made that clicking sound which Gregor had decided was roach laughter along with her, and then they'd play again.

"We come to the rapids!" Perdita's voice saved both Temp and Gregor from the game about a half hour later. Ripred's nose was in the air immediately, and he was peering over the side of the boat.

"What? But the scouts said that they were a good ten kilometers farther south!" the rat stated angrily, and began lashing his tail.

"Well, whether or not the scouts said that, we approach them now! What would you like me to do?" Perdita argued.

Gregor was beginning to hear them now. The rapids sounded almost as strong as a waterfall, and all he heard was rushing, running water.

"Is there an alternate path?" Ripred questioned, over the roar of the coming rapids.

"None that I can see! The river does not fork off until we near Queenshead!" Perdita replied, her higher pitched, female voice even harder to make out.

"And how long will that take?"

"It does not matter, Ripred! Either way, we will have to pass through the rapids! Now what shall we do?"

The river was widening quickly, and the waves were churning up foam. Even though the river had been lower and calmer lately, there were still select spots, such as this one, that remained extremely treacherous to cross through. They could manage it if they only had fliers, but with the boat, they could never make it through. And the boats carried all of their survival items; food, water, and medicine. Not to mention Ripred and Lizzie. Wait…Lizzie! She couldn't stay down there, not in these rapids!

"Liz—" he began, but could not finish. Because at that moment, the group reached the first stage of rapids.

It all happened so fast. Lizzie had been holding onto the side of the boat for dear life, her face ghost white with fright. Suddenly, as they came to the rapids, she was jerked to the side. Ripred lunged desperately for her, but missed. She was thrown overboard, and the water quickly pulled her under.

"LIZZIE!" Gregor cried, and was about to pointlessly launch himself off of his bat in pursue of his sister, but Hera's wing came flying up, preventing him from jumping.

"Don't you _dare _jump off, Gregor!" she snapped, with such ferocity that Gregor drew back, surprise.

"Jump, do you not, not jump!" Temp cried from behind. "Look you!"

Gregor followed the roach's gaze and saw that Lizzie had managed to resurface herself. Ripred was tearing through the numerous packs on the boat that was being flung from left to right, looking for the lifeline they had somewhere. But they didn't have time for that.

"Quick, Nike!" Gregor heard Howard's voice call to his bond. It made sense; Nike and Howard were closest to here Lizzie was gasping for a breath in the vile rapids.

Nike immediately dove, and Howard reached out to grab the ten year old girl. But in a flash, she was pulled under again, and Howard was flung off Nike's back along with her. Nike shrieked and went for him, but he quickly resurfaced and screamed, "Lizzie!" to her before going under again. Nike hesitated, but suddenly, Aurora was there, and _she _went for Lizzie instead, while Nike frantically dragged her bond out of the water and tossed him onto her back.

But now Lizzie had disappeared again, and Gregor was frantically calling her name. Just when he thought she would never resurface again, Aurora dove, submerging her entire body in the water. And then came those ten deadly seconds, the seconds in which Gregor was afraid he would have to explain two deaths when they got back, if they ever did. But then there was a flash of gold fur just below the surface of the water, and Theia, and Nyx automatically dipped down and lifted a sodden Aurora, who was barely clinging onto consciousness, out of the rapids. And in her claws was Lizzie, unconscious, but otherwise unharmed.

Hera flew over to them, and Gregor took his sister's limp body in his arms. Theia and Nyx flew Aurora over to the wildly jerking boat that Ripred was in, and the bat immediately began to cough up a whole lot of water. But now what were they going to do about the boat?

"The ropes!" Perdita cried, and just as they had done on the Prophecy of Bane trip, Nike, Theia, and Nyx, with the first two still carrying riders, grabbed the rope loops on the boat and lifted it as far into the air as they could manage. Howard and Perdita tumbled into the boat beside Aurora and Ripred, so their fliers would not have to worry about their riders. Hera flew up beside them, since she was carrying four riders and wouldn't have been able to lift the boat with them on her back.

It only took about ten minutes of flying to get out of reach of the rapids, and the fliers gently lowered the boat into the water. Perdita didn't bother to move, she looked exhausted. But Howard, still drenched, rushed over to Aurora and pumped the bat's beautiful golden chest to try and steady her breathing.

"Is she okay?" Gregor asked fearfully, knowing he owed the flier so much for saving his sister.

"She has torn her wing on a rock below the surface." Howard exhibited Aurora's left wing to them, revealing a long gash, which was quickly spreading crimson over her beautiful fur. "She will be okay, though. I must stitch her up."

"Well, you can't do it here." Ripred insisted. "And you're pretty bashed up yourself. Come on, there's a beach over there. We've had enough excitement for one day."

Theia and Nyx reached for the boat's ropes and pulled it along to the beach the rat had spotted. Howard immediately grabbed his medical kit, which thankfully had survived the rapids, and quickly began to stitch Aurora up. Ripred inspected the remaining packs.

"We lost the food." He reported solemnly.

"We can fish." Nike said.

"Anything else?" Nyx asked.

"One water pack, but that's nothing. We're surrounded by water."

"Good." Perdita nodded. "We will get by."

Howard finished up with Aurora and came over to Gregor, who was still holding Lizzie. "Does she breathe normally?" he asked. Gregor felt his sister's chest and nodded. Though the girl was still unconscious, her breathing was still even, and her chest was still rising and falling, proving that she still had light.

They had been lucky this time.


	12. Smoketail's Message

**Chapter 12**

Everyone was asleep. Gregor probably would've been, but something was keeping him awake. He could sense that _something_ was near, he wasn't sure what, but nevertheless, it prevented him from sleep.

He lay on his side, facing the boat that was floating on the river, tied up to a rock. He felt Boots curled up to him, her little chest rising and falling. He could hear Lizzie tossing and turning next to him. When she had came to yesterday, she had been very affected by shock, but was otherwise, miraculously okay. Howard had sedated her with something to numb her mind and dampen her shock, but he had not wanted to give her anything to induce sleep, for fear that she would not be able to wake up and tell them if something started hurting. So now she slept restlessly beside Gregor, and at the foot of Hera, who was sleeping right over her on Gregor's instruction.

Despite the someone or something that he sensed watching them, nothing happened. He was beginning to consider going back to sleep now. After all, Ripred was on watch just ten or so feet away, and Gregor always felt safe with the rat on guard. And he really needed some rest…

Wait! He had heard something behind him. He did not dare turn around, it was best to let whatever-it-was think he was still asleep, and if it tried to attack or whatever, jump up and use the element of surprise in his favor.

Nobody else seemed to have heard it, nor had they woken up, or so Gregor thought. But, at another noise, Ripred's head flicked around, and he hissed into the darkness,

"Who's there?" He growled quietly. But whoever was currently standing a few feet behind Gregor didn't seem to be scared. In fact, it chuckled softly.

"Ever so protective of your little group, Ripred," Whoever-it-was spoke quietly. Its voice was sleek and feminine. And somewhat familiar. Ripred apparently recognized it, though.

"Smoketail!" he hissed. Gregor's eyes widened in recognition. They had run into Smoketail during the Bone of Bane quest, in the Gnawer's land. And she had apparently asked Ripred to be her mate, but he had turned her down. But what could the rat possibly be doing _here_?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ripred voiced Gregor's thoughts. Gregor heard Smoketail move closer to the big gray rat.

"I have to tell you something." She spoke softly, in her misty, tantalizing voice. Ripred paused.

"Come in here. I don't want any of them waking up." He said, and stepped quietly over to the stone wall, where there was a large crevice that led to a small cave. They had discovered in the previous day.

The second the two rats disappeared inside, Gregor scrambled quietly but quickly over to the crevice. He felt a little guilty about eavesdropping, but he couldn't help but be curious.

He didn't make it over in time to hear Smoketail's full announcement, but he caught her say the word 'pups'.

"What?!" Ripred hissed, rather loudly. Gregor heard Perdita stir behind him, but thankfully, she didn't get up.

"You heard me."

"And you're sure they're…" he paused, "mine?"

"Of course, Ripred. It's obvious. Who else's could they be?"

"Oh, no. How could this happen? We never…" there was a pause, as Ripred thought. Then he groaned. "Damn. I'm an idiot."

Gregor thought he heard a short snicker from Smoketail.

"This is disastrous!"

"Disastrous? Well, maybe to you, but I don't mind one bit. And I'm the one who has the hardest part of the job."

"Smoketail, I don't have _time_ for pups! There's no possible way I could handle being the representative for the gnawers, the peacemaker, and a parent to them all at once. It's not possible!"

"It is for you." Smoketail said quietly. "You know that's not why you're resisting. There's something you're not telling me."

Ripred sighed. "It's dangerous for us to be together, Smoketail. You know what I get myself into. And…I don't think I could stand if something happened to you, or them…because of me."

And then he muttered something so softly it was inaudible. But Smoketail must have heard, because she laughed softly, but not mockingly.

"That's what I've wanted to hear."

Ripred just grunted gruffly. Smoketail kept speaking.

"And I don't mind a bit of danger."

Gregor heard her start to shuffle out of the cave, and he practically leapt back over to where he had been sleeping. Seconds later, he heard Smoketail bid Ripred farewell and vanish down the tunnel in which she had came. Ripred stared hopelessly after her, groaned softly, and then settled down again. Gregor decided to recap what he had just heard.

So Smoketail was having Ripred's pups, and apparently Ripred wasn't happy about that, because he had never agreed to be her mate in the first place, and he thought it was too dangerous for them to be together. Gregor had a feeling it was because he was afraid that something like what had happened to his previous mate and their pups would happen to Smoketail and his unborn pups. It was all so confusing! And to top that all off, Gregor just couldn't imagine Ripred as a father figure in the first place.

"I know you're awake, Overlander."

Gregor nearly jumped out of his skin as he heard Ripred's voice pierce the darkness. He had been stupid to think that the rat had not been able to smell him. He rose up a bit and looked toward the gray gnawer, who still looked beyond frustrated.

"How much of that did you hear?" Ripred asked.

"Um…all of it." He admitted guiltily. Maybe eavesdropping hadn't been the best of ideas.

Ripred groaned. "I just don't know what to do about all of this." He muttered, and began to pace the area. Gregor was surprised; he had expected the rat to ream him out or something.

"Remember what you said to me once?" Gregor asked. Ripred scowled.

"I've said a lot of things to you. And perhaps you should take more notice of them!" he hissed, but sighed. "But what was that bit of knowledge I gave you that I'm probably going to regret giving once you've had your say?"

Gregor looked at the rat. "'There are only a few good things in life. Don't pretend this one isn't happening,'" He quoted. Ripred looked thoughtful.

"Well, maybe I should take my own advice, in this case," he said, only half-joking. But suddenly the rat's face was inches away from Gregor's, and his lips were pulled back in a snarl.

"You tell anyone about my conversation with her and you'll be dead faster than you can say 'rager'. Got it?" he growled. Gregor nodded quickly, and Ripred moved away and went back to his spot at the front of the group. St that precise moment, Howard stirred, as did Nike and Nyx. Gregor knew the rest of the group would be up soon.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"What about the prophecy?" Apollo looked confused. But Persephone still had to put a few more pieces of the puzzle together before she confided in him.

"A bit of the river, bit of the sea…that could be this pool we have here…and if that's true, then this is what needs to revive Luxa…but she is not sick…at least I do not think so…but revive could also mean _rescue_…but how can the pool rescue Luxa? I do not know…oh, but this has to be the answer…it must be…" she babbled, mostly to herself.

"Will you please tell me what is going on?" Apollo asked irritably. Persephone sighed, still deep in thought.

"Have you heard the prophecy yet?" she asked her friend. He shook his head. "Well there is a line. In the second stanza. It's almost exactly what you said. 'A bit of the river, a bit of the sea, will revive the one if it need be,'" she quoted enthusiastically.

Apollo thought for a moment. "The one…is that Luxa?" he guessed, looking at Persephone.

"Yes. We think so." The black and red bat confirmed, sweeping her eyes around the large cavern. "And if what you and Marina were saying about 'the inherited' is true, then I have got a feeling that we really do need to bring her here."

"You are probably right." Apollo nodded. "But what do you plan on doing?" he asked.

"Well, first I have got to get back to the others."

Apollo was silent. Persephone scowled.

"Apollo, this is the part when you're supposed to be at least a bit chivalrous and offer to come with me." She rolled her eyes in frustration. Apollo sighed.

"Do you think I have not wanted to come back? I have. But I could not just leave Marina here after all she's done for me. She cannot go back to the Tankard, because her kin are angry with her. And she cannot make it to the river from here; the tributary is too shallow for her," he said.

Persephone thought for a moment. But in a minute, she had her mind made up.

"Then we will just have to help her get through the Tankard," she decided determinedly. Apollo's eyes widened.

"Can we do that?"

Persephone nodded. "Yes. We can. I'm sure of it." She gave a yawn. "But first, we must sleep."

Apollo flicked his large bat ear in agreement. Persephone pressed herself close to him, enjoying the warmth of the friend that had been lost to her for so long.


	13. Escape Plots

**Chapter 13**

"Ripred?" gasped Luxa, eyes wide. She opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut off by an exasperated groan on Luna's part.

"You better not be about to ask _why_, you uneducated excuse for a queen."

Luxa scowled. "Uneducated? I'll have you know that I—"

Luna groaned again. "I _swear_, this is too much!"

"All right, fine!" Luxa crossed her arms. "I was not going to ask why anyway. If what you are assuming is true, then it is obvious."

Luna nodded. "Right. She wants Ripred because she thinks he is most likely to lead the gnawers one day. But from what I know of that rat, he will put up a fight before he is caught."

A vague memory of a large cavern full of war came into Luxa's head, and in the center of that cavern was a rat, spinning around and around, shredding anything that came close to him. She almost smiled, but caught herself just in time. "Definitely." She agreed with Luna. By force of habit, the young queen reached up to straighten her crown, and then realized it was not there. With a pang she was reminded of Aurora, who she hoped had found her crown. Oh, how she hoped her bond was alright, because she knew that the beautiful golden bat would most certainly blame herself for her disappearance.

Suddenly a sharp pang for her friends and family distracted her from every other thought in her head. "I have to get back," she said firmly. Luna sighed.

"I know," said the bat, sounding sincere for what might have been the first time in her life. "But I haven't any idea how."

At this point, King Ratio cleared his throat. Both girl and bat turned to look at him, and Luxa raised her eyebrows.

"Yes?" she inquired, more out of politeness than wanting to hear what he had to say. Much as she cared for the nibblers, she had to admit that King Ratio was a bit…ignorant for his species.

"I hate to interrupt your conversation," he began, looking as though he'd like nothing better than to interrupt, "But I do have a plan."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Are you going to tell us, or are we going to have to stand here for the next hour listening as you gloat about how brilliant and perfect it is?" The silver and white flier rustled her wings impatiently. Ratio pompously lifted his nose up and crossed his small grey arms.

"It just so happens to be quite a good plan, if I do say so myself!" he argued. Luxa groaned. If she could have chosen two companions to be in this Tankard cave with her, she certainly would not have chosen a deviously homicidal flier or an egotistical nibbler.

"Can we just hear your plan, Ratio?" she muttered exasperatedly. Ratio gave a little 'hmmph' sound, but nodded.

"Fine."

He leaned into the other two and muttered his plan. When he had finished, Luna spoke.

"Well, I never thought I would say this, but that could actually work. Good job, rodent."

Ratio's mouth slimmed. "Rodent? Rodent? I just offer you up my brilliant plan and you repay me by calling me _rodent_? Despicable!"

Luna snickered. "Well, you are. You're an itty bitty little nibbler. I, on the other hand, am—"

"Shut UP!" Luxa cried, an Overland phrase she had picked up from Gregor. Both Luna and Ratio's heads snapped around to look at her.

"Beg pardon?" coughed Ratio.

"What did you just say?" Luna narrowed her eyes. Luxa locked eyes with the flier, brilliant violet on stunning silver-black.

"I said shut up. We are not getting anywhere with you two arguing like this. The only way that we will actually get out of here alive is if we work together, and much as I do not want to, I have learned a thing or two about compromise from my grandfather."

All was silent for a moment. Ratio broke the tense seconds.

"Spoken like a true queen!" Ratio gave a short nod. His eyes traveled to Luna and he made a noise that sounded very like 'ha!' Luna folded her wings, and Luxa turned to look at the nibbler.

"My words were just as much for you as they were for her." She said sternly. Ratio's self-absorbed expression diminished a bit. Luna cleared her throat to speak.

"Just let me make one thing abundantly clear, will you? Nothing, absolutely nothing I do is to help _you two_. It is entirely for my own benefit, got it? If I could, I would get out of here myself, but I obviously cannot do that. After this is all over, I am going back to my fliers, never speaking to either of you again, and pretending none of this ever happened except to brag to my brothers about my gallant escape from the clutches of a deranged human who thinks she's Queen of the serpents. Because never would the inherited leader of the Terrorwings make stupid negotiations with the naïve leaders of the killers and nibblers. Ever."

Luxa nodded. "Fine."

Ratio sniffed indignantly. Both looked at him. "What?" he asked. Luxa sighed, Luna groaned. "Alright, I agree," he said reluctantly.

"Okay," said Luna. "Let's go."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Persephone opened her eyes, and for a second she wondered where she was, and what she was cuddled so warmly up against. Then her vision focused and she remembered she was in the Black Cavern, asleep next to Apollo. She could hardly believe she had found him, when everyone had believed he had been gone for good.

She looked up and saw Apollo had awoken as well. "Persephone? Are you awake?" he asked. Persephone yawned.

"Yes, I am," she answered, stretching out her wings. It felt nice to be in such a big open space instead of the small tunnels the river ran down. She launched herself off of the perch and did a lap around the vast cavern, then landing back beside Apollo.

"That felt excellent." She smiled in satisfaction. Apollo laughed.

"Yes, I often do that to stretch my wings," he said. "Come on, Marina is waiting for us."

The two bats soared down to the pool, where Marina's blue green serpent head was poking out of the water. She swam closer when she saw them landing.

"I heard you two talking last night." She said, sparing Persephone from explaining what she had discovered. "So this place is part of your prophecy."

Persephone nodded. "That is what we think."

Marina bobbed her head a bit. "Well, then, there is only one thing we can do, then." The serpent was obviously thinking along the same line as Persephone herself.

"Escape from this pool and find Luxa," the bat agreed. "But Apollo does not think we can do that," she informed her, flashing a half smile in the direction of her friend. He scowled a bit.

"I just think it is more trouble that it is worth to risk a battle with the other serpents and their leader by passing through the Tankard. We could be killed in the process," said the flier. "Not that it matters for me, I am as good as dead anyway. But you, Persephone…you have your whole life ahead of you. A life that has not been soiled by banishment and isolation."

Persephone narrowed her eyes. She didn't like the way Apollo said he was 'as good as dead', nor what his words implied. "If I die, than so be it. I am already into this situation as far as I'm going to get. Do you think I have not noticed that around every corner I turn, there is a risk of death, perhaps more brutal than I imagined?"

Apollo was silent, so she continued. "I have known all along that I might die, that I _should _die, rather than fly home and cower like a pup in my den. But just because I'm young, that does not mean that I haven't thought about this just as much as you have. We _must_ do it, to save everyone from what this prophecy can bring."

Apollo sighed. "I guess you are right, Persephone."

Persephone had a strong urge to say, 'of course I am.'

"I hope we never have to have this kind of conversation again." She substituted these words instead.

The light brown bat made a noncommittal sound in his throat, but did not reply. Persephone let the matter drop. Marina took advantage of the pause.

"Before we go, there is something I should probably tell you," said the serpent. Both fliers averted their gaze toward her.

"Yes?" Apollo inquired.

"The serpent's leader…" she began, "is not actually a _serpent_."

Two pairs of raised eyebrows stared the prehistoric creature in the face as she continued. "She is a human."

Persephone couldn't help it. "A human?" she blurted out. "The leader of the serpents is a _human_? Those vile creatures would never let a _human_ lead them!"

Anger flashed in Marina's emerald tinted eyes. "_Vile_ creatures?!" she spat in disgust. "_Vile_?!"

Apollo spoke up quickly. "Persephone didn't mean that, she was just surprised," he covered for her. Persephone frowned at him.

"I can speak for myself," she mumbled. She turned back towards Marina. "I didn't mean that, I was just surprised." She apologized, stubbornly repeating exactly what Apollo had said.

Amusement flickered across Marina's expression. "Alright, fine. But it is true. About two years ago, a human came to our Tankard on the back of one of our own. Since we had been shaken up and in chaos, many of us were happy to see someone strong to help us. But not I. That was the reason I no longer chose to live with them." Her expression clouded, as if remembering something that bothered her. "And of course, Seraphine had a fair position of power under Lynne's rule as well." She scowled.

"Who is Seraphine?"

Marina sighed. "Seraphine, my foolish, foolish sister. The one who brought Lynne to us. She was only thinking of her own gain at the time. And now she selfishly sits in an underwater grotto, content with her influence over Lynne and counting on her human friend to bring her whatever she desires. But I had more sense than her, and left."

All was silent for a moment. Marina flicked her glossy tail as if shooing away the story she had just been telling.

"But we have no time for tales and stories right now, we must be going," she insisted. Apollo looked surprised at the notion of leaving straightaway.

"But we need a plan first, do we not?" he questioned.

"We'll get by." Persephone insisted, not wanting to waste all their time brainstorming.

Marina agreed. "Yes, we will decide on something on the way."

Apollo gave a brisk nod. "Fine. We know what we have to do, so let's do it." He said.

Persephone nodded. "Let's do it."


End file.
